Young generation takes bullet of Syria conflict

The conflict in Syria, which has been dragging on for 27 months, has brought about a lot of social problems, overshadowing the future of the current or even the next generation of young people. Among the most intractable problems is the rising divorce rate. Reports have said divorce cases shot up by 100 percent in recent months and were mostly blamed on the conflict and the deteriorating economy. Attorney General in Damascus Ahmad Bakri said that divorces rose in the capital and its countryside during the current year by an equivalent of 100 cases per day. In a statement published by local al-Watan newspaper, al-Bakri warned that this rate "poses a very dangerous and unprecedented rise" compared with the previous years. Bakri blamed the rise in divorce cases on the current living conditions, especially the violence in the country, indicating that a lot of spouses have become unemployed, which drives the wife to seek a divorce as a result of husband's failure to provide for the family. For his part, Mohamed Khair Akam, a professor at the Faculty of Law, told local media that there is a remarkable rise in divorce cases, saying that it's the wife's right to ask for divorce if her husband is incapable to provide the basic necessities. He added that in light of the current circumstances in Syria, many men have become incapable to secure these basic needs, leading thus to an eventual divorce. Divorces increased significantly since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, one of the Syrian judges said on condition of anonymity, adding that the problems are complex and most often economic in nature and in other cases for political reasons. He claimed that divorce happened not only because of economic conditions but also for differences among the spouses over political issue as each of them backs different side of the conflict. Moreover, the unrest also forced the majority of Syrian youths to postpone the idea of getting married or even to give it up. Spinsterhood has always been a ghost haunting women alone, and perhaps the crisis passed this plight to men as well, with a simple difference: spinsterhood among men was optional. Montaser Samman, 32, told Xinhua that he believed that marriage breeds a state of stability and happiness, but "under the current circumstances, I will never dare to take such a step." He said marriage is "very expensive as the man is the sole responsible to support the family, let alone the high prices of gold and the fear of instability in the country." "We can guarantee a stable life and a good future neither for us nor for our children," he said. The crisis and the economic sanctions on the country have caused a sharp depreciation in the Syrian pound, which has lost almost 75 percent of its value, sending thus the gold prices skyrocketing. So, the rise in the gold prices was an additional cause behind some of the Syrian youths' decision not to get married. Two days ago, Syrian websites and newspapers published the story of two Syrian couples, who had opted to tattoo the marriage ring on their fingers, in a step aiming to challenge the high gold prices and encourage Syrians to follow suit. Gold prices in the domestic market have witnessed consequent rises to 5,850 Syrian pounds (58.8 U.S. dollars) per one gram. Shortly ahead of the crisis, one gram was used to be sold at around 2,600 Syrian pounds (26.2 dollars).